1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an intake device of an automated redemption machine for returnable containers such as bottles, cans and the like, said intake device comprising a conveyor for transporting the container in an essentially horizontal position and means for rotating the container for the purpose of scanning, e.g., a bar code.
2. Prior Art
In recent times, there has been a general adoption of automated redemption machines of the kind discussed herein having a construction into which bottles, cans and the like containers are returned bottom first in an essentially horizontal position. One embodiment of such a machine is known from publication WO 9802255. A benefit obviously gained by the horizontal intake position over traditional intake with the container standing in the upright position is that the container cannot topple when being placed onto the intake conveyor. Particularly, plastic bottles that are widely used today are so light when empty that they are very difficult to keep upright. A toppled container in most cases causes a malfunction of the automated redemption machine or the customer may remain short of the refund. Moreover, modern automated redemption machines are expected to fulfill extremely tough requirements in regard to the automated machine""s capability of identifying and handling containers of most varied character. Herein, the term container must be understood to refer to all kinds of empty returnable containers including glass and plastic bottles and cans. The size and weight of these containers may vary in very large limits. For instance, the intake device may have to handle in succession a bottle having a bottom diameter of about 15 cm and a weight in excess of 1 kg followed by an extremely small minibar-size bottle typically used for alcoholic beverages. This situation puts the intake device and the identification system connected thereto under stringent demands.
In conventional horizontal-intake redemption machines, the intake device generally comprises two parallel, horizontally moving belts driven by rollers or the like elements. Obviously, the belts are spanned in the travel direction of the conveyor, and their surfaces may be inclined at a small angle relative to each other so that the container being returned is supported on its sides to both of the belts. Furthermore, the prior-art container intake device includes a rotating means serving to rotate the container about its longitudinal axis so that a bar code reader can detect the bar code printed on the container. As the transport belts of the intake device have a solid and broad surface, it is obvious that the rotating means cannot be arranged to operate through them, but instead, the rotating means is implemented as a transverse rotating element adapted to operate in the gap remaining between the belts.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel type of intake device for an automated redemption machine, the device facilitating the operation of container rotating means through the container transport means. An intake device according to the invention is characterized in that the conveyor means have slots adapted thereto transverse to the conveyor travel direction, said slots permitting at least partially elevating and lowering via said slots the means for rotating the returned containers.
A preferred embodiment of the intake device according to the invention is characterized in that the conveyor means comprises a plural succession of intake transport elements aligned essentially transverse to the conveyor travel direction, whereby said transverse slots are formed by the gaps remaining between said transport elements.
Another preferred embodiment of the intake device according to the invention is characterized in that said intake transport elements are arranged to comprise two adjacent half-conveyors with their essentially planar surfaces tilted in respect to each other so as to form an essentially V-shaped conveyor on which a container being transported is supported by its sides to both of the half-conveyors.
A still another preferred embodiment of the intake device according to the invention is characterized in that said intake elements are transport rollers or rolls rotated by a common or separate drive means, whereby the half-conveyors are comprised of roller/roll sets of successive rollers or rolls.
A still another preferred embodiment of the intake device according to the invention is characterized in that the roller/roll sets have at least one section in which the container intake rollers/rolls are rotatable independently from the other conveyor sections.
A still another preferred embodiment of the intake device according to the invention is characterized in that the means for rotating the container comprise rotator assemblies adapted beneath both of the half-conveyors, at least over a portion of the conveyor travel, and that both of the rotator assemblies comprise a plurality of axially aligned rotating discs having their principal plane aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the intake conveyor rollers/rolls, said discs being arranged to coincide with the conveyor slots that are situated transverse to the conveyor travel direction, and that said rotator assemblies are equipped with an actuator for elevating and lowering said rotating discs in said slots respectively up and down.
The container intake device according to the invention features an extremely uncomplicated construction and secure operation. Furthermore, the device is cost-efficient to manufacture and facilitates safe handling of all types of returnable containers.